Signal-lamp.



- P. D. SPEAR.

SIGNAL LAMPr APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

coLuMBq PLANDGRAPH co. WASHINGTON, D c.

P. D. SPEAK.

SIGNAL LAMP.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1912.

1 p82 1 78 Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SEEET 2.

P. D. SPEAR.

SIGNAL LAMP.

APPLIYOATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1912.

Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBXA PLANGGRAPH c0, WASHINGTON, 11. c4

F. D. SPEAK.

SIGNAL LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1912.

1 ,082, 1 78. Patented Dec. 23, 1913.

SHEETS-SHEET 4.

cnLuM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA r TTFD STATES PATENT UiFFll Jlll.

rcniviaiv n. srnaa, or new roan, n. Y., AssIGNoR T0 ARMSPEALP.nanuracrcnmo COMPANY, or new YORK, iv. v.

SIGNAL-LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 23,19113.

Application filed September 18, 1912. Serial No. 721,078.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, FURMAN D. SPEAK, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Signal-Lamps, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that kind of signal lamps which are used inrailroad service, for instance on locomotives for indicating thecharacter or class of the train, usually called classification lamps, oron the rear end of the last car of a train, to mark the rear end of thetrain, usually called marker lamps, or on switches, semaphores and otherrailroad appliances. Signal lamps of this kind are provided with lensesof various kinds for projecting the light.

The object of this invention is the construction of a signal lamp whichrenders the signal visible over a field of considerable extenthorizontally; which contains a sectional lens of several colors whichcan be readily changed for sections of different colors; which isprovided with an internal shield by which the light is excluded from aportion of the lens circumferentially; and which is provided with aconvenient wick raiser which extends to the outer side of the lamp.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of alamp provided with these improvements. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section online 22, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3, Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the supporting bracket and adjacent partsof the lamp. Fig, 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan of the bracket andadjacent parts of the lamp base. Fig. 6 is a horizontal section throughthe wick raiser, showing the actuating shaft uncoupled from thewick-raiser shaft. Fig. 7 is a vertical section through the wick raisermechanism on line 7?, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectionof the parts constituting the lower part of the lamp, the parts beingseparated for the sake of clearness in representation. Fig. 9 is ahorizontal section through the breast of the lamp, on line 99, Fig. 1.Fig. 10 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rotatable lookingmechanism connecting the breast of the lamp with the upright frame bars.Fig. 11 is a vertical section through the stationary light shield, online 1111, Fig. 2, 011 a reduced scale. Fig. 12 is an elevation, partlyin section, showing a modified construction of the means for connectingthe lamp breast with the frame bars.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the lens which may be of spheroidal form, having flat endsand increasing diameter from both ends toward the middle, and it mayhave the refracting rings arranged on the inner side, as represented inFig. 1, or on the outer side, as represented in Fig. 12. The lens iscomposed of a suitable number of upright sections arrangedcircumferentially side by side, four sections being shown in thedrawings, Fig. 2, of which two may be white and two green, whicharrangement of colors is often used in classification lamps carried onthe locomotive. Any other desired arrangement or combination of colorsmay be used, as the particular service may require. The adjoining fiatsides 20 of the sections are preferably provided with grooves 21extending from end to end of each flat side so that the two grooves intwo adjoining sections form a duct which opens through the upper andlower ends of the lens when the sections are set up. This duct is filledwith a packing strip 22 which is threaded into the duct after the lensis set up. These packing strips pack the joints between the sections andprevent the entrance of wind, rain, snow, etc., into the lens. Thejoints of the lens sections are preferably so constructed that thesections are in contact with each other on the outer sides of thegrooves but not on the inner sides, whereby a narrow slit is formed onthe inner side of the joint through which a needle or blade can bepassed in threading the packing into the groove.

The lamp frame comprises a base portion or body hoop B, upright framebars C secured at their lower ends thereto, a breast C detachablysecured to the upper ends of said bars, and a top D which is hinged tothe breast at 24 and fastened by a hasp 25 and turn button 26. The baseB is rotatably arranged in a bracket E or other support which is securedto the locomotive, car or appliance on which the lamp is carried. Thisbracket is provided with a circular horizontal rest 27 in which thelower contracted portion 28 of the base is rotatably arranged. The baseis provided above the rest 27 with a shoulder 29 by which it issupported on the rest and below the rest with an annular plate 30 whichprojects beyond the lower side of the rest and prevents displacement ofthe lamp in an upward direction. The marginal portion of this holdingplate 30 is provided on its underside with an annular groove 31 forstiffening the plate. The rest 27 is provided with a hinged jaw 32,Figs. 3 and 4, which is secured by a bolt 33 to the fixed aw of therest. Upon removing this bolt the lamp can be removed from the rest.

The fixed aw of the rest is provided with a spring catch 34: whichengages with its bolt 35 in an opening 36 in the base of the lamp andholds the lamp against rotation. lVhen the lamp is designed to be usedin two positions corresponding with two colors of the lens, two of theseopenings are formed in diametrically opposite sides of the base, asshown in Fig. 3, and when a greater number of positions is required thenumber of these openings is correspondingly increased.

F represents the oil font, 37 the burner and 38 the wick-raiser shaft.

39 represents a cup-shaped support and 40 a light shield which issecured at its lower end to a flange 41 projecting outwardly from thesupport 39. The latter rests with its bottom 4-2 upon the bottom 4E3 ofthe lamp base and is provided with a downwardly projecting square stemat which is arranged with its attaching flange 4:5 in a circular openingin the bottom 43. The bracket is provided on its underside with aholding arm 46, Figs. 1, 5 and 3, which is provided at its outer endwith upturned ears 4:7 which straddle the shank of the bracket and aresecured thereto by the same bolt 33 by which the hinged jaw is securedto the stationary jaw. The holding arm is provided with two branches 48which engage with their curved ends 4L9 in the annular groove 31 on theholding plate 30 and assist in holding the lamp against lateralvibration in the rest of the bracket. The ends of this arm also formfeet on which the lamp rests when the bracket and lamp are detached fromthe car or other structure on which they are carried. The holding plate46 is provided with a square opening in which the stem 4A is arrangedand whereby this stem, the shield support and the shield are heldagainst turning.

The oil font rests loosely on the bottom of the shield support so thatit can turn with the lamp. The wick-raiser shaft 38 is actuated by anextension shaft 50 which is journaled in a sleeve 51 arranged in abearing 52 which is secured to one of the upright frame bars C, Figs. 1,2, 6 and 7. The extenwas exposed.

sion shaft is arranged in line with the wickraiser shaft and theseshafts are provided at their adjacent ends with bifurcated couplingheads 53 54 which are held in engagement by a spring 55 pressing theextension shaft inwardly. When the lamp is rotated in the bracket theoil font follows the movement by reason of the engagement of theextension shaft with the wick-raiser shaft. The extension shaft isarranged in one of the lens joints, one side of which is provided ith aradial groove in which the sleeve 51 is arranged.

The upper edge of the peripheral wall of the base B forms the seat forthe lens sections and is provided with a gasket or cushion 56 of rubberor other suitable material. The lens sections are held together at theirupper ends by a rubber gasket 57.

The breast of the lamp frame can be secured to the frame bars in variousways. In the construction represented in Figs. 1, 9 and 10, the breastCi of the lamp frame has an annular bottom 53 which bears against thegasket 57 surrounding the upper ends of the lens sections and holds thelatter firmly together and upon their seat in the lamp base. The bottomof the breast is provided with openings 59 and with a superposedrotatable locking ring 60. The ring is provided with openings 61 and theheads 62 of the frame bars project. tirough the openings 59 of thebreast and the openings 61 of the locking ring. The latter is providedwith locking inclines 63 which engage underneath the heads 62 by arotary movement of the locking ring and lock the breast to the bar. Theparts are shown in the unlocked position in Fig. 9 and in the lockedposition in Fig. 10. No claim is made herein for this specific attachingmeans because it is claimed in an application filed by Judson S. Pixleyof even date herewith, Serial No. 721,059.

In the construction shown in Fig. 12, the upper ends of the frame bars Cmay be provided with flanges 6% to which the breast D is secured byscrews 65.

The lamp is provided with ventilating devices of any suitableconstruction. Those shown in Fig. 1 comprise the top D which is providedwith an outlet for the products of combustion and with air inlets 70,and a draft tube 71 surrounded by a perforated diaphragm 72.

The sectional lens extends throughout a complete circle and permits thesignal to be observed clearly and at a great distance in any direction,except where the lens is covered by the shield. The latter permits thesignal to be readily changed by turning the lamp on its bracket so as toexpose a part of the lens which was covered by the shield and cover apart of the lens which This rotarty adjustment of the lens is readilyeffected upon releasing the spring catch 3% which holds the lamp againstaccidental rotation.

When this lamp is used as a marker lamp, marking the rear end of atrain, or as a switch lamp or on a semaphore, the shield anditssupporting devices are omitted.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a stationary sup port having a circular seat, ofa lamp which "is rotatably arranged with its base in said seat andprovided With a central opening in said base, and a stationary lightshield arranged within said lamp and having at its lower end a stemwhich extends through said opening in the base and is held againstrotation by said support, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a stationary support having a circular seat, ofa lamp which is rotatably arranged with its base in said seat andprovided with a central opening in said base, a stationary light shieldarranged within said lamp, a cup-shaped support for said shield which isarranged within the lamp base and provided with a stem which extendsthrough said opening in the base and is held against rotation by saidsupport, and an oil font arranged within the cupshaped support of theshield, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a lamp support, of a lamp which is rotatable insaid support and provided with a shoulder by which it rests upon saidsupport, and below said support with a holding plate which preventsdisplacement of the lamp in an upward direction and is provided on itsunderside with a marginal groove, and a holding arm secured to the lampsupport and having convex end portions which engage in said groove,substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with a lamp support, of a lamp which is rotatable insaid support, and a light shield arranged within the lamp, a support forsaid shield having an angular stem which extends downwardly through thebase of the lamp, and a holding arm on the lamp support which engagessaid stem and holds the same against rotation, substantially as setforth.

5. The combination with a lamp frame having upright members, a lensarranged in said frame and composed of upright sections arrangedcircumferentially side by side, and an oil font and burner provided witha wick-raiser shaft, of an external actuating shaft supported on one ofsaid upright frame members in line with said wick-raiser shaft andpassing through the joint between two of said lens sections, said shaftsbeing provided with coupling heads, substantially as set forth.

lVitness my hand this 16th day of September, 1912.

FURMAN D. SPEAK.

\Vitnesses JUDsoN S. PIxLEY, J. STANTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

